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Case TitleBIRD v. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2019cv02860
Date Filed2019-09-24
Date Closed2020-10-13
JudgeJudge Ketanji Brown Jackson
PlaintiffKAI BIRD
Case DescriptionKai Bird, a historian and journalist, submitted a FOIA request to the Department of State for records concerning a 1980 cable sent by the U.S. Embassy in Madrid pertaining to an unofficial visit by William Casey, who at the time was Ronald Reagan's campaign manager. The agency acknowledged receipt of the request but after hearing nothing further from the agency, Bird filed suit.
Complaint issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Litigation - Attorney's fees, Adequacy - Search

DefendantUNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Documents
Docket
Complaint
Complaint attachment 1
Complaint attachment 2
Complaint attachment 3
Complaint attachment 4
Complaint attachment 5
User-contributed Documents
 
Docket Events (Hide)
Date FiledDoc #Docket Text

2019-09-241COMPLAINT against UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE ( Filing fee $ 400 receipt number 0090-6395547) filed by KAI BIRD. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A, # 2 Exhibit B, # 3 Exhibit C, # 4 Civil Cover Sheet, # 5 Summons)(Townsend, KatieLynn) (Entered: 09/24/2019)
2019-09-26Case Assigned to Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. (zeg) (Entered: 09/26/2019)
2019-09-272SUMMONS (3) Issued Electronically as to UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachment: # 1 Notice and Consent)(zeg) (Entered: 09/27/2019)
2019-10-103NOTICE of Appearance by Rhonda Lisa Campbell on behalf of UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE (Campbell, Rhonda) (Entered: 10/10/2019)
2019-10-104GENERAL ORDER AND GUIDELINES APPLICABLE TO FOIA CASES ASSIGNED TO JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON. The Court will hold the parties and counsel responsible for following these directives, and parties and counsel should pay particular attention to the Court's instructions for processing and production of records, batching motions, and filing exhibits. Failure to adhere to this Order may, when appropriate, result the imposition of sanctions and/or sua sponte denial of non-conforming motions. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 10/10/2019. (lckbj1) (Entered: 10/10/2019)
2019-10-145RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 10/03/2019., RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 10/3/2019. ( Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 11/2/2019.), RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE served on 10/3/2019 (Attachments: # 1 Affidavits of Mailing)(Townsend, KatieLynn) (Entered: 10/14/2019)
2019-11-046ANSWER to Complaint by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit)(Campbell, Rhonda) (Entered: 11/04/2019)
2019-11-05MINUTE ORDER. Before the Court in this FOIA case are a complaint and an answer. It is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall review this Court's 4 General Order and Guidelines Applicable to FOIA Cases, and promptly confer and file a joint proposed schedule for disclosure or briefing motions for summary judgment, on or before 11/19/2019. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 11/5/2019. (jag) (Entered: 11/05/2019)
2019-11-057NOTICE of Appearance by Adam Alexander Marshall on behalf of KAI BIRD (Marshall, Adam) (Entered: 11/05/2019)
2019-11-198Joint STATUS REPORT by KAI BIRD. (Townsend, KatieLynn) (Entered: 11/19/2019)
2019-12-03MINUTE ORDER. In light of the representations in the parties' 8 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that, on or before 1/8/2020, the parties shall file a further joint status report, which shall include a proposed schedule for further proceedings if litigation is going to be necessary. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 12/3/2019. (jag) (Entered: 12/03/2019)
2020-01-089Joint STATUS REPORT by KAI BIRD. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Townsend, KatieLynn) (Entered: 01/08/2020)
2020-01-09MINUTE ORDER. In light of the representations in the parties' 9 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that, on or before 2/13/2020, the parties shall file a further joint status report, which shall include a proposed schedule for further proceedings if litigation is going to be necessary. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 1/9/2020. (jag) (Entered: 01/09/2020)
2020-02-1310Joint STATUS REPORT by KAI BIRD. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Townsend, KatieLynn) (Entered: 02/13/2020)
2020-02-14MINUTE ORDER. In light of the representations in the parties' 10 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that, on or before 3/5/2020, the parties shall file a further joint status report, which shall include a proposed schedule for further proceedings if litigation is going to be necessary. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 2/14/2020. (jag) (Entered: 02/14/2020)
2020-03-0511Joint STATUS REPORT by KAI BIRD. (Townsend, KatieLynn) (Entered: 03/05/2020)
2020-03-05MINUTE ORDER. In light of the representations in the parties' 11 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that, on or before 4/24/2020, the parties shall file a further joint status report, which shall include a proposed schedule for further proceedings if litigation is going to be necessary. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 3/5/2020. (jag) (Entered: 03/05/2020)
2020-04-1612NOTICE OF SUBSTITUTION OF COUNSEL by Diana Viggiano Valdivia on behalf of UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE Substituting for attorney Rhonda Lisa Campbell (Valdivia, Diana) (Entered: 04/16/2020)
2020-04-2413Joint STATUS REPORT by KAI BIRD. (Townsend, KatieLynn) (Entered: 04/24/2020)
2020-04-28MINUTE ORDER. In light of the representations in the parties' 13 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that, on or before 6/4/2020, the parties shall file a further joint status report, which shall include a proposed schedule for further proceedings if litigation is going to be necessary. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 4/28/2020. (jag) (Entered: 04/28/2020)
2020-06-0414Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Valdivia, Diana) (Entered: 06/04/2020)
2020-06-11MINUTE ORDER. In light of the representations in the parties' 14 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that, on or before 7/7/2020, the parties shall file a further joint status report, which shall include a proposed schedule for further proceedings if litigation is going to be necessary. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 6/11/2020. (jag) (Entered: 06/11/2020)
2020-07-0715Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Valdivia, Diana) (Entered: 07/07/2020)
2020-07-10MINUTE ORDER. In light of the representations in the parties' 15 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that, on or before 9/8/2020, the parties shall file a further joint status report, which shall include a proposed schedule for further proceedings if litigation is going to be necessary. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 7/10/2020. (jag) (Entered: 07/10/2020)
2020-09-0816Joint STATUS REPORT by KAI BIRD. (Townsend, KatieLynn) (Entered: 09/08/2020)
2020-09-17MINUTE ORDER. In light of the representations in the parties' 16 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that, on or before 10/9/2020, the parties shall file a further joint status report, which shall include a proposed schedule for further proceedings if litigation is going to be necessary. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 9/16/2020. (jag) (Entered: 09/17/2020)
2020-10-0917Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A)(Valdivia, Diana) (Entered: 10/09/2020)
2020-10-0918STIPULATION of Dismissal by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Valdivia, Diana) (Entered: 10/09/2020)
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